Alderwoman Proposes Eliminating Residency Rule

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) – St. Louis city voters would get to decide whether to do away with the residency rule, that says you have to live in the city to work for the city, under a bill before the board of aldermen. Alderwoman Carol Howard is the sponsor.

“I think it limits our recruitment efforts. It says, I think, because we’re not a good enough city we have to require you to live here to work for us,” she says.

Alderman Scott Ogilvie has some concerns.

“Especially in the public safety circuit, it is important to have people who have some kind of personal connection to the place where they’re working,” he says

The bill is still in committee and could undergo some tweaking short of a total elimination of the residency rule to get voted out.